Tunisia's Ennahda says will not recognize new parliament

By Adel Al Thabiti

TUNIS, Tunisia (AA) - Tunisia’s Ennahda movement said Monday it will not recognize the legitimacy of the country’s new parliament.

The newly-elected parliament convened for the first time in the capital Tunis on Monday.

In a statement, Ennahda said it “will not recognize a parliament that lacks legitimacy emanated from elections that were boycotted by more than 90 percent of Tunisians."

The movement said it still sticks to the 2014 constitution and considers it "the sole source of legitimacy", renewing its rejection of "unilateral decisions taken by the de facto authority."

Ennahda had 53 seats in the 217-seat member dissolved by President Kais Saied in 2021.

Monday’s session was held 20 months after Saied suspended the former parliament, sacked the prime minister and assumed executive authority, in a move decried by opponents as a “coup.”

Saied insists that his measures were meant to "save" the country after years of crisis.

*Writing by Mahmoud Barakat in Ankara